There’s a “golden green opportunity” in the state of Connecticut, some say, one that could bring in nearly $64 million in tax revenue in a single year.

It could involve public-use spaces to consume recreational marijuana — with the packages delivered from production facilities by mom-and-pop businesses. There could be micro-licenses in residential communities, with growing leafy plants as commonplace as home-brewing. There could be budding entrepreneurs from minority communities latching onto the booming industry.

Some elected officials on Hartford’s city council say it’s a matter of when — not if — Connecticut legalizes recreational marijuana.

“When the reality hits, as it already has in passing bills on the legalization of cannabis, we really want policy reflective of our community’s needs and wants,” said Councilwoman Wildaliz Bermudez, referring to a December 2017 resolution to explore the economics and feasibility of legalizing marijuana.

In its second panel of the summer Wednesday night — with the final forum scheduled for late August — the council brought in three policy experts and advocates to discuss opportunities for decriminalizing and regulating the federally controlled substance in the state.

Nelson Guerrero, the executive director of the Cannabis Cultural Association, said 98 percent of people of color are left out of the marijuana industry. Instead, they’re incarcerated for possessing the substance — or deported following an arrest or conviction.

“We have an opportunity to really be a part of an emerging industry, be a part of history and get a piece of this action,” Guerrero said. “We’re empowering and educating our community to get involved — we can’t get left behind.”

Guerrero founded his organization in 2016 to fight the stigma surrounding cannabis, educating citizens in both English and Spanish. While he acknowledged not every business can become a multimillion-dollar producer, there are still ancillary services that can generate funds.

It comes down to competitive pricing, he said, to ensure smaller licensees from diverse backgrounds can stake ownership claims.

Still, co-panelist Rachelle Yeung lamented the hurdles of racial disparity, using the war on drugs as a key example.

“The reason why I joined the marijuana movement when I was a student was because I saw the racial disparity in arrests in the execution of the drug war,” said Yeung, who’s a co-host of a leading drug policy podcast. “It was racist in its conception and it was racist in its execution.”

To make the laws equitable, Yeung said, legalization needs to be tied to the expunging — or at least, sealing — of criminal records. Some states are more progressive with their legal interpretations, Yeung said.

In Maryland, for example, any possession charges — regardless of quantity — are able to be expunged. That means people of color, especially younger individuals who may have faced convictions, can compete against major industry professionals, she said.

Brandon Banks, the co-founder and chief operating officer of Colorado-based Natural Selections Dispensary, advises prospective growers to know their rights inside and out — then backward and forward.

“If you’re really trying to get into the industry, you have to be the most prepared person at the table,” he said. “There are a lot of hurdles.”

It takes a combination of securing funding, finalizing a dispensary location and gaining support from municipalities.

In Colorado, Banks said, the capital requirements can be as minimal as about $50,000. But in Massachusetts — where earlier this month licensed businesses could finally sell recreational marijuana — working capital may need to reach $500,000 in order to apply for a license, Banks said.

Those figures, he said, don’t take into account incentivizing landlords, many of whom are unwilling to welcome growers onto their properties. While “big money” is out there, Banks said, local governments can assuage costs by giving grants to entrepreneurs.

“I’d like to see more partnerships formed more than anything,” he said.

Guerrero convinced his devout Catholic “abuelo,” who was suffering from stage 4 prostate cancer, to try medical marijuana. Within 48 hours, Guerrero said, his grandfather’s appetite increased and he was finally able to get four consecutive hours of sleep.

Medical marijuana patients have rights, he said. And in this rapidly changing industry, so could thousands of recreational users.

Yeung cautioned against threats from employers, but she compared marijuana to any other prescription. Even on college campuses, students should be permitted to use the medication that works best for them.

“As long as you fulfill the responsibilities of your jobs, then what you do during your personal time shouldn’t affect your ability to be employed,” she said.